(first posted 1/16/2014) There a number of living fossils in the automotive world, some of which have had even longer lifespans than the Argentine Ford Falcon, which was built for thirty years (1962 to 1991). But there’s something about seeing a 1963 Falcon dressed up in late 1980’s regalia that evokes the thought what did someone slip into my drink?
CC Cohort SoCalMetro posted a number of vehicles shot during a recent trip to Argentina, and we admired the crude Ford “Suburban” a while back. Today we’ll peruse his collection of Falcons (along with some others from the web), review the key evolutionary steps of their long life, and even ask a few questions that I can’t find ready answers to. That alone may be a first here, and only adds to the mystique of the Argentine Falcon.
image: oldcarbrochures.com
The first Argentine Falcons were assembled in 1962 at Ford’s plant in LaBoca, from complete knockdown kits (eventually they were locally manufactured). Only the four door in Standard and Deluxe trim were offered, with the 170 CID six under the hood. In 1963, the top-trim Futura was added to the line up, as well as a new, larger 187 CID (3,081 cc) version of the six.
This Falcon engine unique to Argentina raises the first question that I couldn’t find an answer to on the web, a rare occurrence: how exactly was this displacement increase achieved? The 200 CID engine’s larger bore or longer stroke? I’m going to guess it was the stroke. This wasn’t the only unique version of the Falcon six created in Argentina; we’ll get to the other a bit later.
Argentinean Falcons received regular minor exterior changes, mainly to the grille, almost every year or so during the sixties. It would be a herculean task to identify, find and document them all, so we’ll leave that for a more ambitious undertaking. This shot is from Wikipedia, and shows the quad headlight grille from the 1970 restyle. It’s my favorite of the bunch.
In 1966, a station wagon, the Rural (red, at top), was added to the four-door sedan. This was locally developed, and had distinct differences from the US version (bottom), and was also different from the Australian wagon (middle). The Wonderful World of Falcon Wagons.
This red Rural is a 1970 model, and is for sale, priced at 22,000 Argentine Pesos, equal to $3,280 US. Want to own the only one in the US?
Since the red Rural ad didn’t show its distinctive rear end treatment, here’s another one, not so modest. Both the Argentine and Australian Falcon wagons had shorter rear bodies, with less overhang to reduce the chance of getting hung up on the rough rural roads.
I’m not going to even try to identify the years of these various Falcons shot on the streets by SoCalMetro, in part because they’ve also been modified by their owners, as with the hidden rear door handles on this veteran.
This is a 3.0 L from the early eighties or so. But back in 1969, a 3.6 L (221 CID) version of the six also appeared, and again, I don’t know how exactly this extra displacement was found. I’m going to assume more stroke again (in addition to the bigger bore shared with the 200), as none of the Falcon sixes have a bigger bore than the 3.68 inches that the 200 and 250 had. But the 250 also had a higher deck, so presumably the smaller additional stroke increase fit inside the 200’s block.
image: todofalcon.com.ar
Initially, the 221 six had 132 hp, but by 1973, power was up to 166 hp. These engines also had a better breathing cylinder head, and a four speed transmission with floor shift, which was also available on the lesser Falcons. These high-output Falcons were called Sprint, as they had been in the US during a few brief years (1963.5-1965). This red one is from the 1973-1975 era.
Here’s a look at the 3.6 SP engine, thanks to todofalcon.com.ar, which is the go-to site on these, if you read Spanish, but the pictures alone are worth it. The different cylinder head clearly doesn’t have the integral log-type intake manifold of the US Falcon sixes.
As best as I can tell, the badge on the back of this one indicates it’s a 3.6. The rear end styling on it places it at the later end of the Falcon’s long life, which started with the last major restyle of 1982. Starting that year, a 2.3 L four, a version of the SOHC “Pinto engine,” was also available (with 90 hp), but not all that popular, as most continued to prefer the smooth and well-proven six. Falcons were popular as taxis, police cars, and more nefariously, as the preferred cars of Argentine paramilitary forces/death squads of the 1970s, wearing a distinctive shade of dark green. One is not likely to see any dark green Falcons anymore, given the brutal connotation.
image: todofalcon.com.ar
A diesel engine, the 70 hp Italian four cylinder VM HR492 was also available after 1988, but was quite rare and installed mostly on the Ranchero pickup, like this one. How would you like to have been able to buy one new in 1991?
The 1982 restyle also ushered in the Ghia model as the top line version, replacing the Futura. The distinctive Ford alloy wheels, also used in the US and Europe, were used on these cars too (as seen on the Ranchero above).
The best year for Falcon sales was 1973, when just over 35k were sold. Sales fluctuated after that along with the Argentine economy, and sales topped 34k in 1980. But after that, with more modern cars increasingly available on the market, sales began a slide, and only a few thousand were sold in the last years. But there are still plenty on the roads, and undoubtedly will be for a long time to come. And it’s not just hipsters driving them.
I bet some entrepreneur in the US could make some money matching old Argentine Falcons to US buyers, and providing full-service importation. I find US Falcons very compelling classics—the Argentine versions are almost irresistible!
Somebody in the US had same idea about importing old Australian vehicles and certifying them for the US market.
http://www.madmaxcars.com/
They cant be exported to the US…
Very nice Paul, I had to chuckle at the “Rural” wagon. Juxtaposed with the Suburban, the Rural really should be used more in the suburbs and the Suburban more in rural areas…
Very interesting story overall, 80’s styling cues applied to a 60’s car does not make for a very attractive result (in hindsight, of course)
They cant be exported to the US…Plenty enough dead Falcons here anyway…Just begging for a home…
A fascinating look at something really different. If I had known about these I forgot about them. It is really mind-jarring to look at an early 60s Falcon with early 90s grillework and trim.
That station wagon is fascinating. I wonder if another reason for the shortened rear was to get rid of the curved glass that the U.S. version used over the rear quarters. I would think that flat glass would be a lot easier and cheaper to get in a country where the industry is more basic.
That 1970 version that you like says 64 Plymouth to me.
The timing is spot on for the Australian press tooling to be shipped over to Argentina once it was no longer needed (1966), with a local modification to avoid needing curved glass as you state. After seeing the profile photo I fully expected a wider rear pillar as seen further down for that reason.
But the tailgate on the Australian ones was a totally different shape – an almost-flat sloping panel rather than being shaped like the Argentinian one is.
Aussie falcons 68?,70,were available with a 3.6,221,.Dad had a 69xt wagon,similar in looks to a US68,’9,falcon.Oh,but it had that awful integral cast inlet manifold.Argentine rodders have a range of aftermarket manifolds available,double barrel holleys,and triple webbers common.Check out South African,falcon,fairmontGT was a 351.Leo,N.Z.
Did they ever offer a 2door or a convertible? Any dash shots? Did they keep the traditional Falcon strip speedometer?
I have always had a odd interest in vehicles that ran forever with little changes.
No 2 door or convertible. The dash was eventually changed. I’m sure you could find some interior shots at the todofalcon.com.ar website I linked to.
It’s like a trip through some alternate universe. Truly fascinating!
As per the above website mentioned by Paul, here is the last instrument panel design:
http://todofalcon.com.ar/Fotos/interior07.jpg
And as far as I can tell, the last model produced:
http://todofalcon.com.ar/Fotos/Modelo90_01.jpg
http://todofalcon.com.ar/Fotos/Modelo90_02.jpg
http://todofalcon.com.ar/Fotos/Modelo90_03.jpg
It sort of has a “Yugo” feel to it.
The dash has a strong Ranger/Tempo vibe at the same time.
Nice panel gaps in the hood area.
Sweet and interesting cars. This piece should be cross referenced against Paul’s exhaustive study of the Falcon platform and it’s permutations.
Cue Bryce talking about the Australian Falcon in 3, 2, 1… 😉
I wonder if the Argies are in the market for a lightly used factory?
+1
I wish I’d taken more photos on my trip to Chubut province in the 1990’s, these Falcons were everywhere.
At the time Argentina was just starting to recover from decades of economic stagnation, so every car that had arrived there since the 1930’s was still in use. Made for some pretty interesting CC’s. Oval window VWs, knucklehead Harleys, 1930’s Ford trucks all in daily use. And a genuine WW2 Corsair fighter on a pole at the airport.
Ah, wish I could make it back to Argentina… Interestingly the F4U Corsair at Trelew airport got taken down and restored in France.
Hard to believe I saw that thing when it was derelict and mounted on a pole.
great article. love it when cars live on in production. wish that could happen here but it can’t due to government regulations.
Well as American’s we still have some examples of long lived platforms although the changes are more substantial. I’m imagining an retrospective of W-body sedans from the late 80s to the 2013 W-Impala. Or 1979 Crown Victoria parked next to a 2011 Crown Vic. Or even a 1st year Volare parked next to a 1989 Diplomat.
But yes regulation is quickly making that sort of thing harder and harder.
Ford Econoline Vans, C Series COE Trucks also deserve a mention.
This is fascinating. Almost a Ford version of the VW Bug in a sense.
If I am seeing things correctly, these all have five lug wheels. Weren’t the US version all four lug wheels if equipped with a six? Makes me wonder if the five lug were used from the start and what advantage there was in doing so.
Undoubtedly, the bigger 14″ wheels and five lug hubs were the same HD units also used on American V8 Falcons, which also included stronger suspension components borrowed from the Fairlane. These were also used on the Argentine Falcon to cope with the rough roads so common there. The Australian Falcon adopted the same 5-lug hubs and HD components very quickly too, as Bryce has let us know so often. The original 1960 Falcon suspension and little 13″ wheels were not up to that kind of difficult usage.
13″ wheels! I had forgotten that vital part of the equation. But this hits upon something that has bugged me.
It must have been cheaper to do so given the volumes produced, but I have never understood the rationale in the Falcon / Mustang having two different lug patterns based simply upon engine size. Doing this meant two different sets of wheels, wheel bearings, spindles, and brakes. I struggle to see how this simplified anything when they could have been uniform throughout the production process.
Maybe I’ve solved the affliction of homogenized cars of the last 20 years or so. Stock one thing and one thing only.
While I’m sure these two aren’t unique, I’m just drawing a momentary blank on other offenders.
Tell that to the bean counters. I’m sure if one added up all the components that were different on the 6 and V8 underpinnings, and priced them out, it would add up to a few bucks per car. Which was plenty of rationale for doing that. The ’60 Corvair didn’t get its sway bar because it cost $4. And there’s plenty of other similar stories.
The suspensions were pre-built, and then attached on the line as a whole unit. Just needed two versions of it feeding the line. And quite possibly, the Mustang 6s and V8s were built on different lines. Or not. But it was probably a lot simpler than dealing with all the other production variables, options, etc.
We had Zephyrs and Zodiacs that went fine on 13 inch wheels, race and rally proven it wasn’t the tyres fault
…but I have never understood the rationale in the Falcon / Mustang having two different lug patterns based simply upon engine size. Doing this meant two different sets of wheels, wheel bearings, spindles, and brakes. I struggle to see how this simplified anything when they could have been uniform throughout the production process.
Here’s a crazier one for you: the 02-03 Mazda Protege. Base DX and LX models had 4 lug hubs, but the ES sedan and Protege5 wagon had 5 lugs.
Honda Accords used to have 4lugs for 4-cylinder and 5 for the V-6’s.
Didn’t the ES and Protege5 also have different brakes? I know the Protege5 had four-wheel discs (the ES had all discs, then disc/drum, then back to discs, as I recall) while the base Familia/Protege had smaller solid disc/rear drum brakes. That means the ES/Protege5 probably had different spindles anyway. The Protege5 could also also reasonably be expected to carry heavier loads and thus have different strength parameters.
Nissan did that for years on their RWD 80s and 90s Skyline – turbos got 5 studs, non-turbos got 4.
Mid 90s Mazda 626s had four lugs on fours and five on V6s.
Keep in mind that the original Falcon was designed under the close scrutiny of Bob McNamara, who saw variations from the cost and weight targets as something akin to blasphemy. The Falcon was a pretty large car by European or modern standards, but in original form had a dry weight under 2,400 lb without using exotic materials, which means they sweated every fraction of an ounce.
Unfortunately, as the Australians found out, that didn’t leave a lot of margin for usage more severe than typical U.S. commuting. There also was no provision originally for even a small V-8, so when Ford built the Falcon Sprint, they had to beef up the structure and minor components quite a bit, generally accomplished by borrowing stuff from the Fairlane bin. However, Ford had already invested a lot in tooling for the light-duty components of the standard six-cylinder Falcon, so dumping all that stuff to standardize around the beefier Fairlane pieces would have meant sacrificing that investment — not the sort of thing that makes finance people happy. So, they kept using both sets until they had gotten a reasonable amortization and then the late 1966–70 U.S. Falcons became essentially cut-down Fairlanes.
Didn’t the ES and Protege5 also have different brakes?
Yup. According to Edmund’s, 03 DX and LX had ventilated disks in front and drums in the rear. ES had ventilated disks in front and solid disks in back and the P5 had ventilated disks all around.
I think I still have an 03 brochure around somewhere that might give disk sizes, but I have a substantial collection of literature and am too lazy to dig it out at the moment.
The lug thing irritated me as I was considering a P5 in 03, as I had sold my 97 beater Civic, but tire selection in the P5s size was terrible. If I had been able to put DX wheels on it, I would have had a much wider selection of better performing tires.
Visually, the late-model Falcons make me think of Peugeot somehow. It could’ve been a model that came between the 404 and 405.
Would that be a 404.5?
Same here – not that they actually share many similar lines, but the later Argentine Falcons give me a definite Peugeot 604 vibe:
Si te fijas bien en los ultimos halcon tiene mucha semejanza. A los ultimos ford granada y ford taunus tanto exterior como interior!!
Ford did some mileage out of that 70’s alloy on the red Ranchero. There was a version of that design wheel on everything from the Fiesta to the F250.
Great Ive been waiting for this I saw these on the cohort and hoped they would get picked up,
Various parts from other Ford models are incorporated in these I see MK5 Cortina taillights on the back of the 82 which is when Cortinas went out of production and the badging is all very familiar and lifted from other models of Ford, I like the 4light front and I see their wagon has unique rear doors and rear sheet metal,
Not sure about the 221 Ive heard of them but what was done to what engine to produce them is a mystery a 200 Falcon crankshaft into a 186 Holden blocks gives approx. 220 cubes and does away with the worst inlet manifold ever designed but that was an old hotrodders trick not anyones factory.
Displacement-wise, the 221 is is either a stroked 200 or a de-stroked 250, depending on how you want to look at it. In the latter sixties and seventies, Ford got very keen on settling on a particular bore and then changing displacement by adjusting the stroke; they went that way with the Windsor V-8 once the 289 was introduced and did the same with the smaller American/Australian six and the Kent four, among others.
the 250 wasnt in production when the 221 came along a freind recently offloaded his Aussie Falcon collection which included a XT Falcon 600 with 221 engine, the 600 was a NZ assembly special we got instead of the Aussie Fairmont upscale model.
Nice,I love Falcons Dad had 2 when I was a kid.The tail lights look strange as I’m so used to the “afterburner” type of the early Falcons
Odd how the Argies had this ancient thing, while the Brazilians had the much more modern Ford Corcel. ‘course, consider the Corcel’s lineage, the plant was built by Willys-Overland, the car used a Renault 12 platform, and a Renault engine, until it was replaced by a 1.8L VW. Nice looking ride for the late 70s tho….and any two door wagon gets my attention
Ford Motor Argentina also offered the Taunus and iterations of (I think) the Australian Fairlane LTD, which were a bit more modern; the Falcon was sort of the middle of the road offering.
I imagine the tooling being paid for had something to do with it. After buying out IKA in the ’70s, Renault continued to offer the IKA Torino (which was still recognizably derived from the mid-sixties Rambler American) until at least 1980.
After buying out IKA in the ’70s, Renault continued to offer the IKA Torino (which was still recognizably derived from the mid-sixties Rambler American)
And before building transplanted Ramblers, IKA built transplanted Kaisers. IKA standing for Industrias Kaiser Argentina. The tooling having been shipped down soon after Kaiser production ended in the US. iirc, Kaiser also uprooted the tooling for the modified Continental 6 they used and sent that down as well.
The National Auto & Truck Museum in Auburn, IN, directly behind the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, has a Carabela. iirc, that Carabela had once been owned by Henry Kaiser.
I knew that the Falcon had a long life in Argentina, but I had no idea that it lasted all the way to 1991! I wonder whether Robert McNamara knew that the Falcon, which he had done so much to bring to the US auto market, lived on for so long. It may have partly made up for his feelings of failure over the Vietnam War.
Remembering my Brazilian Ford Maverick GT find, which I posted about a year ago (https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classico-do-brasil-ford-maverick-gt/), perhaps we should arrange a special event for soccer-mad Argentina and Brazil during the 2014 World Cup in Rio: an Argentine Ford Falcon vs. Brazilian Ford Maverick drag race.
Neat piece. Thanks Paul.
The brochure pic of the 1962 confirms in my mind that the Falcon my parents had was likely a ’62. It was a high trim line 2 door sedan with a white top, brown body, and I recall that trim panel behind the rear wheel. Automatic I’m sure. It was the 1st and for a long time the only brand new car my dad bought. I think he was quite proud of it. The 1962 Mustang in a sense.
Nice to see that a practical design was appreciated for so long. Some of the variants really give the car a different attitude. For some reason the front of this one seems very Russian…..
More Argentine Ford, here an Argentinian Fairlane, they maked the 1968-69 Fairlane 4-door sedan to 1981 with the Y-block V8 family engine instead of the Windsor, Cleveland, FE and Blue Crescent family engines http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifhp97/4773217959/in/set-72157623960598052
The 68/9 Ford & Mercury midsize cars have been a favourite of mine for a long time.
No automatic available at any price in these Argentine Fairlanes,
they were all 3-on-the-tree.
On the displacement issue, the 188 and 221 engines both shared the 3-11/16 inch (93.7mm) bore of the 200 and 250, but the 188 had the 170’s 2-15/16 inch (74.6mm) stroke while the 221 had a unique 3.46-inch (87.9mm) stroke. I see the metric displacements rounded in various ways, but my calculations work out to 3,084 cc and 3,622 cc, respectively.
That makes my guessing average 50%. Thanks!
Oops, 3,084cc and 3,633cc. Not having a good math day apparently…
The 3.6 had more stroke: http://www.cocheargentino.com.ar/f/ford_falcon.htm
The second most produced car in Argentina, after the Peugeot 504. Really iconic cars there!
I wish we would have got that removable manifold head instead of the waste of cast iron that our small sixes were saddled with all its life.
The Australian Falcons had the 188 & 221 engines in 1968-70, and in the next few years a version of the 250 with a separate manifold and a 2-bbl carb, 170hp. Depending on when the Argentinian version was made, it may have been another case of hand-me-down. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it has its advantages – particularly you can see where to say ‘no thanks’!
Interesting how the Argentinean ‘187’ came on stream in 1963, five years before we Aussies got the ‘188’. I’m assuming they’re the same. Argentinian technology for Australia!
Great cavalcade of photos. Thanks Paul and SoCalMetro.
The Argentine Ford Falcon-the car with the beautiful body (in the trunk!)
Yep, as Bryce noted, the last version of the Argentinian Falcon had Mk V Cortina/Taunus taillights. The instruments and their binnacle (though not the dash) are Mk III-V Cortina, and looks to me that the bumpers are the same too.
As well as keeping the original Falcon going until 1991, the Argentinians also kept the Mk V Ford Cortina/Taunus alive with unique updates until 1994. The updates were the equivalent of a Mk VI (quad lights and integrated bumpers) and a Mk VII from 1990-94 (Sierra headlights, new taillights, new bootlid, new – and inferior – interior). Kiwi Mk V below, with the ‘Mk VI’ and ‘Mk ‘VII’ (courtesy http://www.clubtaunus.com) underneath.
No Scott, the Ford Taunus was in production until 1984 /85 when Ford Argentina launched the Sierra. There were in production at the same time for some monthes until mid 1985 (TAunus Ghia S version). Argentine Sierra uses 2.3 Taunus engine with modified intake mainfold to reduce fuel consumption (105cv on Ghia version and 120cv on XR-4 and Ghia S (from 1986). And a new 1.6 (75cv) german ford engine for the basic model (L , GL)
Oops, sorry. I knew the Taunus survived until 1994 in Turkey, and for some reason thought it continued in Argentina and Brazil as well. You are quite correct of course, and I stand corrected!
I found a ’64 Falcon 2-door in Washington State on craigslist, needs restored but all basically there. I’d love to adapt the Argentine front clip onto it. I think all I’d need would be the fenders, grille, head lamps and marker/turn signal lamps.
I’m not much for having an old Cortina-sourced dash imported, the cost of which would probably bankrupt the whole project before it got off the ground. Basically, I feel I can live with out it. I was thinking of using a first gen Ford Explorer (Ranger, Navajo, B-series) dash instead. They’re easy to find, cheap, and I bet I could make it fit. Of course, I’d have to do some measuring first, but I think that would be the most logical place to start for a more modern dash in my Falcon.
Likewise, I’m not fan of the 1982+ Argentine Falcon’s rear. I was thinking of using 1984/85 Tempo tail lamps instead. Their shape is somewhat similar, but much easier to come by in the States. I’m sure they could be frenched in.
It’s nice to find people abroad interested in our Falcons.
The 1982 restyling responded to the change in the likes of the Marketi, becoming more european. Hence the Falcon looks moré similar to a Taunus or Granada.
Development of the rural, ranchero, and most (if not all) of the restylings was in change of Jorge Tomadoni. If you aré interested, you should Google him.
Falcons are still active down here, even in sports. Our main motor sports series, Turismo Carretera, stars Falcons, Novas, Torinos, and Darts.
Greetings!
Hi Lucas, could you find and send me any Argentinian Falcon parts for my restoration project in Australia? I’ve been trying on Mercado Libre but having no luck!
Steven, sorry. I’ve just read your message. Three months late.
Glad to help you. Let me know.
Greetings.
Lucas
Beautiful looking car, the Argentina Ford Falcon.
Love to know where to buy parts for Falcons in Argentina
Maybe Lucas Cassullo can help
I find the Argentina Ford Falcon more attractive than the American (U.S.A built) Ford Falcon.
Michael, it’s not so easy to buy online from Argentina.
Try sites like http://www.mercadolibre.com.ar.
In my opinion, parts for pre-1970 Falcons would be hard to find online, but you can buy them in several spare shops. Let me know what you need so I can help you further. (lucascassullo@yahoo.com.ar)
During the “Dirty War” of the ’70s and ’80s, the death squads cruised around in Falcons. Unlike other Falcons in Argentina, they had no license plates.
If you want more attempts at keeping an old car design relevant, here’s the FSO Polonez Caro Plus.
A 1997 revision of a 1978 design, including putting Daewoo’s corporate grille on it (as FSO was a Daewoo subsidiary by 1997).
Fascinating reading! I had no idea these existed for so long.
Maybe someone already said this, (I didn’t read the comment thread) but those 80s examples look very Soviet-y to me.
I always learn something new on here. One day I will probably find out that the ’57 Bel Air was made in Somewherastan until 2008, and has aero headlights, airbags, and AWD, and is coveted by hipsters who now for some reason have taken to wearing fireman hats and Flavor-Flav-style clocks around their necks. Because…hipsters.
It could happen.
Looking at these pictures of the Argentine Ford Falcon brings back memories even though I’ve never seen one. Their American roots run deep. The modifications to keep them current are, as The Mann mentioned, rather Soviet like. They kind of remind me of the civilian Checker Marathon’s that sported opera windows.
I fully agree that the modifications could look to an outside observer similar to the Soviet cars. The big difference was in the cars themselves. Of course they had very old design and few real modifications to keep them current in terms of suspension and steering, let alone bodies.
As for creature comforts, in the early 70s you could get one with power steering, brakes and air conditioning, which was very USA like in its cooling power.
Other options wouldn’t be available until much later, or never.
Argentinians felt comfortable with their out of date cars, which also included (among others) the Peugeot 504, which ended production at about the same time. These cars kept with relatively good sales figures even with the availabilty of much more modern, fuel efficient imported cars.
In neighboring Uruguay we got many Argentinian cars as CKD, including locally sourced glass, upholstery, tires and some other minor odds and ends. In 1981, looking for a new car, my late father considered a new Falcon 3.6 Futura which was in the dealer’s floor, in a very dark green metallic color, black vinyl roof, tufted velour black upholstery with buckets in front, with a floor shifted 4 speed manual. It had power steering and air conditioning, pressed steel with chrome accents wheels, and really looked like a brand new 60’s American compact with many ’70s add ons. I liked it but Dad decided to get an Opel Rekord 2.0. Both cars were priced the same, about 18 to 20 K U$S dollars in 1981, around 56K today. Outrageously expensive. Dad’s Rekord was 2 years old and he paid for it 15K, around 42 K today. Then again, both cars, together with the BMW 320 and Peugeot 505 (all assembled here) and the Honda Accord, Toyota Carina and some other imported cars were at the time the top of the available car ladder, if one excepts the BMW 520 (twice the price) and a Mercedes W123 (three times the price). Not much to choose from then here.
Ford did some mileage out of that 70’s alloy on the red Ranchero.
https://ades.vn/top-7-loi-may-giat-electrolux-thuong-gap-2020
Argentina was a closed market to imports for those years, so the car companies continued to make new cars with old tooling long after they were put out to pasture in their native lands. The Chevrolet 400 was a first gen Chevy II made into the 70s, its replacement was the Chevrolet Chevy, a 3rd gen Nova that was made into the 80s. Kaiser sold 1965 Ambassadors till the mid 70s and a much improved 1964 Rambler American called the Torino until 1981. Peugeot had 504s long after the 505 had replaced it elsewhere. Dodge made a version of the Plymouth Cricket/Hillman Avenger until the early 90s. Fiat was also present with facelifted 1970s cars made to the 90s. Renault 12, 4 and Citroen 2CV and Dayne were sold way past their sell by date in France
The Falcon are still produce in argentina as a racecar, these are called “ACTC FL”, a race model based on the 1980’s Falcon Sprint using only the roof from the original model.
these cars are powered with a Modified Ford 221 Inline 6 engine called “Multivalve”, replacing the old OHV system with a modern 24v DOHC System, having a power output of almost 500hp(limited by ACTC Series regulations) an a max rpm of 9200RPM (back in the 2000’s, they had a max rpm of 12k RPM but using the original OHV system).
these car dosent have headlights and the tailights are on the rear window, these cars are made of thin metal and the entire front are made of fiberglass and they are pretty easy to remove (about 1 minute).
these cars compite on the ACTC Turismo Carretera Series, the most important category in argentina, since 1937, the category raced on public streets,but they switched to normal circuits in 1997, the turismo carretera series was too cheap to race that almost any mechanic can afford a “TC Car” (Turismo Carretera Car) because they used normal cars like the falcon,Chevy Serie 2(smaller nova 69) dodge gtx and other cars of the same type, in 2011 the rules changed and now the cars are made by ACTC, ACTC also produces the same cars for other divisionals of TC called= TC Pista, TC Mouras and TC Pista Mouras.created in 1995,2005 and 2012, here it’s a picture of a 2019 Falcon of Turismo carretera driven by Mauricio Lambiris.
Great Article! I live in Argentina and I am a total Falcon fan, here we are posing with a Friend, his wife´s white 63 Argentinian produced (first year) and my Black semi rat 66. I also have a 78 rural (wagon) that I use everyday for work. I´m in construction.
Greetings to all you FIERREROS (oldmetalfans)
Peter
How pleasant it is to surf the web and find an article about the “Clásico Argentino”.
Some clarifications about our Falcon.
The 187″ engine is a local development (the first time in the history of Fo.Mo.Co. that a mechanical development was carried out without passing through the USA) enlarging the cylinder diameter and turning the crankshaft on a 170″ 4-bed block.
The 188″ and 221″ engines (same block for both, 7-bank) introduced in 1969 were taken directly from the ’68 Aussie Falcon XP, with the intake manifold integrated into the cylinder head.
In 1972 the high-performance version called 221 SP (Special Performance) was introduced with improvements to the cylinder head, intake manifold (aluminum and independent), exhaust manifold, Holley 40/40 carburetor, camshaft, and connecting rods with better lubrication, delivering a power of 166 HP as standard equipment for the Sprint version and as an option for the Deluxe and Futura finishes.
Aesthetically speaking, in 1962 and 1963 the Argentine Falcon was on par with the American, but as of 1964 Ford Motor Argentina chose to continue with local designs and developments based on the 1963 bodywork.
It had restylings in 1966, 1970, 1973, 1978 and 1982 that updated the design to keep it fresh against the competition, but always with the same hull design, to which the Rural (local nickname for station wagons) was added in 1967 and the Ranchero pickup (developed on the 4-door body) in 1973.
The industrial history of the Argentine Falcon ceased in 1991, being at that time the most manufactured and sold car in Argentine history, and which today has a legion of fans who are responsible for continuing to write the history of the Falcon in the streets, routes and autodromes of our country.
Greetings from Buenos Aires!